An early warning system, electrified mats and cutting back railway vegetation are three ways Parks Canada and Canadian Pacific hope to reduce grizzly deaths on train tracks in the national parks.

These measures are among a number of initiatives announced Jan. 25 as a result of a joint, five-year research project into rail-caused grizzly mortality in Banff and Yoho parks. In the past 10 years, 10 grizzlies and 27 black bears have been killed by trains, and the project looked at the underlying causes.

“It’s a very complex problem. There’s really no single solution, no silver bullet if you will,” said Rick Kubin, acting superintendent for Lake Louise, Yoho and Kootenay national parks.

While much of the research looked at vegetation and habitat, two devices tested in the park have had good success.

Four electrified mats will be placed along the tracks in locations that attract bears, such as degreaser stations. Also, Parks Canada and Canadian Pacific will continue testing a warning system in four locations, in which a sensor detects oncoming trains and sends a signal to a trackside device with LED lights and electronic sounds. Early results show elk are heeding the warnings and moving away from the tracks.

A sound recorder near the railway tracks listens for approaching trains. This was part of a five-year Parks Canada and Canadian Pacific project to mitigate grizzly deaths on the railway. Courtesy Jonathan Backs, University of AlbertaCalgary

“We found the bears that are most vulnerable are the ones that do not detect oncoming trains, whether it’s track configuration, topography . . . It’s kind of a perfect storm, if you will, to create that vulnerability,” said Colleen Cassady St. Clair, the University of Alberta Faculty of Science professor who led the research team.

“We think animals will be able to learn to connect the warning with the train . . . and pass on to their offspring,” said Cassady St. Clair.

Canadian Pacific is waiting to see the results before committing to the warning system, said Joe VanHumbeck, CP systems manager of environmental assessment.

The research team found a number of reasons bears are attracted to the railway, including ease of movement along the rail corridor, abundance of berries and other plants and, to a lesser extent, spilled grain.

Cassady St. Clair said they looked at grain spillage and train speed, and found more grain was spilled the slower the train travelled. More grain was deposited on tracks at the west end of the park, yet the grizzly bear mortality was higher at the east end. She said about 110 tonnes of grain is spilled annually.

“This is a remarkably small amount of grain, about one-and-a-half hopper cars. But that equates in calories to the annual need of 50 adult grizzlies. But it’s not the only factor attracting them, and may not be the main one.”

Canadian Pacific has been working to curb the problem for years by refurbishing grain cars, and will continue to respond with vacuum and blower trucks. It will also spend $250,000 a year over three years to manage vegetation along the rail corridor by removing large trees that might obstruct bears from seeing oncoming trains, by cutting back buffalo berries and other prime bear feeding plants along the corridor, removing ungulate carcasses and creating escape routes in confined areas.

A grizzly tests out and is deterred by an electric mat. This was part of a five-year Parks Canada and Canadian Pacific project to mitigate grizzly deaths on the railway. Courtesy Parks CanadaCalgary

Kubian said it comes down to developing habitat and improving wildlife movement through the parks.

“We will be creating alternative trails so grizzlies will be able to move past pinch points, so they don’t have to travel the railroad corridor.”

Kubian said the population in the national parks is stable, with approximately 14 grizzlies for every 1,000 square kilometres. The Bow Valley corridor is about 4,000 sq. km in size.

The research project, started with an initial $1-million grant from Canadian Pacific followed by several million dollars more, conducted a number of field studies including GPS collaring, mounting video cameras on the front of trains, electrified fencing and mats, and treating grain with a nauseating substance.

FACTS

The five-year project aimed at reducing grizzly bear deaths on train tracks in the Banff and Yoho national parks included a number of research studies:

• GPS collaring — Between 2010 and 2015, 11-13 grizzlies were fitted with GPS collars and tracked to learn where, when and why they were using the railway

• Behavioural responses — Go Pro cameras were mounted on the front of trains to understand what affects a bear’s ability to detect and flee from trains

• Conditioned taste aversion — grain samples were treated with a substance that induces nausea to see if it will keep bears from looking for grain along the tracks

• Fence trials — mock sections of railway were created with fencing and electrified mats at either end to see if it keeps bears from entering

Comments

We encourage all readers to share their views on our articles and blog posts. We are committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion, so we ask you to avoid personal attacks, and please keep your comments relevant and respectful. If you encounter a comment that is abusive, click the "X" in the upper right corner of the comment box to report spam or abuse. We are using Facebook commenting. Visit our FAQ page for more information.